Richard Dixon Oldham, 1858-1936

Abstract

Mr. R. D. Oldham, who died on 15 July, was the son of Dr. Thomas Oldham (1816-78), in succession professor of geology at Trinity College, Dublin, and director of the Geological Surveys of Ireland and India. Towards the close of his life in India, Thomas Oldham became interested in the earthquakes of that country. He made a careful study of the Cachar earthquake of 1869 on the lines laid down by Robert Mallet. The materials collected by him were brought to England on his retirement from the Survey in 1876, but ill-health prevented the completion of his report, and the notes were returned to India. His valuable “Catalogue of Indian Earthquakes from the Earliest Time to the End of a .d . 1869 ” was also published after his death ( India Geol. Surv. Mem., vol. 19, pt. 1, pp. 1—88 (1882) ; vol. 19, pt. 3, pp. 1—53 (1883) ). Richard Dixon Oldham was born on 31 July, 1858, and was educated at Rugby and the Royal School of Mines. He joined the staff of the Geological Survey of India as assistant-superintendent in 1879, and soon afterwards was dispatched for field-work to the Himalayan district. One of his earliest tasks, however, was the completion, of his father’s memoir on the Cachar earthquake, more than half of which, including the entire discussion of the observations, is due to him. Probably, also, he was responsible for the editing of the catalogue of Indian earthquakes.